monroe



(No Model.) 3 sheetssheet 1 H. H. MONROE.

ROTARY HARROW.

No. 312,150. rlfehtented Peb. l0, l885.

Half j?? @y N. PETERS. Pham-Lithugmphr, Washingmn. DJL

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. H. MONROE.

ROTARY 1111111101111.

No. 312,150. P11-,61111111 Peb. 10, 1885.

@@yww (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheen 3'. H. H. MONROE. ROTARY HARROWPatented Feb. 10, 1885.

WITNESSB ATTORNEY ot the same apparatus.

UEiiTEn STETEs PATENT EETcE.

HALsEY H. MONROE, OE THOMAsTON, MATNE.

ROTARY HARROW.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part o' Letters Patent No. 312,150, dated February10, 1865.

Application filed September 13, 1884. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, HELsEY H. MONROE, ofThoinaston, in the countyot'KnoX and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful lmproveinentin Rotary Harrows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the saine.

My invention relates to rotary harrows, and is an improvement upon theform of` barrow shown in Letters Patent ot' the United States granted meon the 12th day ofSeptember, 1882.

The object of my invention is, rst, to iinprove the frame-work of theapparatus, and to adapt a double harrow of the genera-l coustructionshown in my said patent to operate upon or between two rows of corn,either for covering the seed or for cultivating between the rows.

In the second place, my object is to combine a seed-dropper with thedouble rotary barrow, whereby the rotary harrow may be made to cover theseed and work in straight lines for that purpose.

Thirdly, my invention relates to the general construction andarrangement of the parts, whereby, with certain interchangeable pieces,the apparatus may be used either as a planter or cultivator.

Fourthly, my invention relates to an improved means for bracing andconstructing the fraaie, whereby the wheels are made to bear constantlyupon the harrows when the machine is in operation, and the harrows arealso held against undue tipping` toward the center.

The construction and combinations which'I have devised for carrying outmy invention are fully and particularly set forth hereinafter, and arerepresented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 representsa plan view of the apparatus adapted as a seeder, the seat beingremoved. Fig.A 2 shows an end elevation of part Fig. 3 is a sideelevation, and Fig. et a perspective view, of the same apparatus. Fig. 5represents in plan the frame used when the machine is adapted to act asa cultivator. Fig. 6 shows a modication.

In these drawings, A A represent the sides of the main frame, on whichare pivoted by king-bolts the rotary harrows B B.

The sides and harrows are substantially the saine as those shown in mypatent above mentioned, and operatedsubstantially in the same manner.

The general construction of the frame is the same as in that patent, andthe points in which it differs therefrom are hereinafter fully eX-plained.

The kingbolts marked b b pass through arms C, and through the sidepieces, A,which serve to raise the structure above the hub ofthebrackets E, which brackets support the bracing and supporting bar orframe F. This bar f, holding it firmly against lateral movement on thebrackets.

To the inner ends of the arms C are pivoted supplemental arms c, onwhich are journaled bearing-wheels G, which wheels, as in the at'oresaidpatent, bear upon a circular track, g, on the upper surface ot' theharrows.

ed holes, hand-screws I, the lower ends of which bear upon the bottom ofgrooves in blocks e', these blocks being grooved to allow the slightlateral motion necessary to the screws I I. By means of these screws,which may be reached by the driver from his seat, any desi red amount ofpressure can be applied to the harrow upon the sides directly under thedrivers seat. The seat is shown at K. The position of the seat bringsthe weight of the driver over the center, and tends, as far as therigidity of the frame F will permit, to press through the screws uponthe wheels G G; but the weight ofthe driver is not necessary for thispurpose, as the screws Ilare of themselves sufficient to give all thepressure needed to cause the harrows to turn.

It will be observed that the liarrows B B are arranged t`o leave a spacebetween them, and that the 'construction is such that the frame' work iselevated above the ground,and a space left sufficiently large,vertically as well as laterally, to allow the harrow to pass overcornrows, even if the corn has attained considerable height; and bymeans of this construction the hai-row can be used as a cultivator, aswell as a planter, or for the ordinary purpose of a barrow, at thepleasure of the operator.

In harrows of this class there is a tendency to throw ont the teeth onthe outer sides by harrow. -Upon these arms C are mounted.

or frame is connected to the brackets by bolts.

rThrough the frame'F are inserted, in thread- IOO undue tipping of thecircular harrows. This tendency is obviated by means of the construction described,and shown more clearly-in Fig. 2. The frame Fserves tobrace the two circular harrows on a line at considerable height abovethe teeth. Obviously it prevents the tops of the standards E E fromapproaching each other.

As the supplemental arms c c, which carry the wheels G, are pivoted tothe arms C and form no part of the rigid structure, their motion oraction does not interfere with the rigidity of the main frame-work. Theside pieces, A A, are connected and the frame-work stiffened by a broadcross-bar or foot-board, H. In front of this, and upon the side pieces,is arrangedaseed-dropping apparatus. (Shown in Figs. l, 3, and et.) Theboxes are indicated at e, and underneath these boxes is a reciprocatingsliding valvap, which may be worked by ahandle, li, or bymeans of ashaft, k. This shaft has a face-plate, Z, and a wrist-pin connected tothe slide-valves by means of rods m m. Theshaft 7c extends vto the rear,beingsupported in suitable bearings, and by means of beveled gears isconnected to a shaft or axle,

n, which is mounted in vertically-adjustable bearings o on the sidepieces to regulate the depth of the work. Upon this axle are setbroad-tread wheels M, adapted to bear upon the ground and partiallysupport the apparatus. By means ofthe set-screw Z they may be adjustedto and fixed at any point on the shaft. This enables the operator to setthem in line with the seed-droppers, so as to press the earth over theseed, if desired; otherwise they may be shifted out of that line, eitheroutwardly or inwardly. Thus they serve the double purpose of supporting`the apparatus and pressing the earth over the seed when necessary. Theshaft la is arranged in its bearings so that it may be shiftedlongitudinally to throw the beveled gears connected to the axle n intoor out of mesh, the rods m m having lateral play sufficient for thatpurpose. This movement is effected by means of a gooseneck, q, having aneye, through which the shaft passes, held by collars 2 2, iixed on theshaft. The goose-neck (l is connected to a hand-lever, .3, which ispivoted to astandard, 4, set on the cross or foot bar H, the goose-neckbeing pivoted below the pivot whichliolds the lever to the standard. Theplows or furrow-openers N are hung upon the cross-bar O, in front of theseed-boxes. The bar is hinged at 5, so that it can be turned up to raisethe plows out of the ground. This is doneby means of the connecting-rod6. pivoted to the front edge of the bar O and to the lever 3 above itspivot. Movement, therefore,of the handle of the lever 3 to the rear willlift out the plows and throw,

the shaft la out of gear with the axle a, thus at the same time stoppingthe feed of the seed and throwing the plows out of the ground.

In rear of the wheels M M, I have provided a shaft, r, preferablyarranged in slightly-inclined position, and provided with teeth s s inline with the space between the harrows. This is made removable, so thatit can be added to the machine when it is used as an ordinary barrow,the teeth s s serving to stir the earth left between the c-ireularharrows.

It will be observed that the seed apparatus may all be removed from theframe of the machine when it is desired to use the machine simply as aharrow. For this purpose I connect the cross-bar which supports theseedboxes to the side pieces, A A, by easily detaching the connections,and I may remove the axle n by removing the nut 7, which is one of thoseserving to adj ust the bearings of the said axle. The mechanism may thenbe used as an ordinary harrow. Or, by removing the shaft r, theapparatus may be used as a eultivator,worki ng two spaces between therows at the same time, the machine straddling the row between thesespaces.

Instead of removing the seed-boxes and apparatus for working them fromthe side pieces, A A, I may remove the bolts b and take off the sidepieces, A, with all the mechanism attached thereto, and instead of theseside pieces I may use a frame, (shown in Fig. 5,) this frame containingsimply the foot-bar H, or its equivalent, with the side pieces, A A, onwhich are set the arms C and other parts of the structure. (Shownin Fig.2.) This construction adapts` the apparatus to be used for threepurposes, and to take the place of three machines. It may be used as anordinary harrow, with the results arising from the rotary system. It mayalso be used as a seed dropper or planter with the great advantagearising from the rotary-barrow covering, by which the earth is looselystirred over the seed and the ground left level. It may also be used asa cultivator, t-he double rotary harrows being separated to straddle therow, and also being made of proper width to work between the rows. Therotary harrows thoroughly eradicate the weeds and stir the soil, andstill leave the ground level.

It will be borne in mind that the harrows turn in opposite directions.This is especially favorable when the machine is used as a seedplanteror cultivator. The opposite motions of the harrows counteract eachother,and thus tend to keep the machine in direct line. Thesupporting-wheels M M and the furrow-openers also aid for this purpose.The furrowopeners are raised when the seed-dropping mechanism is thrownout of gear in turning, and therefore do not interfere with thatmovement.

The whole frame may be removed from the harrows at any time by simplyremoving the king-bolts.

I have shown in Fig. 6 a substitute for the screw I. This consists of abolt, I, and spring 9, interposed below the frame Fand the arm c; butthe spring may also be placed around the screw, as shown at 10, Fig. 2.In this ease I add a nut, l1, by means of which the tension of thespring may be adjusted. The

IOO

IIO

spring will bear constantly on the block, even when the harrow dropsaway from the screw.

I claiml. In combination, a frame, a pair of rotary barrows straddlingthe row, iitted to turn between the rows, and pivoted under the frame,mechanism for causing the harrows to rotate, a seed-dropping` mechanismlocated on the frame, and furrow-openers in line'therewith, allsubstantially as described.

2. In combination, a frame, a pair of rotary `harrows straddling therow, itted to turn between the rows, and pivoted under the frame,mechanism for causing` the harrows to rotate, a seed-dropping mechanismlocated on the frame, furrow-openers, and wheels in line with theopeners, all substantially as described.

3. In combination, a frame, apair of rotary harrows pivoted under saidframe and tted to work between the rows, and having,` space betweenadapting` them to straddle a row, a seed-dropping,` mechanism andfurrow-openers IT N on a hinged bar, the rod 6, and handlever, allsubstantially as described. l

4. In combination, a frame, a pair of rotary harrows pivoted under saidframe, fitted to straddle one row and work between-it and the adjacentrows, a seed-dropping mechanism, a shaft, n, and wheels M M, and shaftk, connected thereto by bevel-gears, and the wristpin connecting` withthe rods ofthe seed-dropping valves, all substantially as described.

5. In combination, a frame, a pair of rotary harrows pivoted under saidframe, iitted to straddle one row and work between it and the adjacentrows, and a shaft, r, extending` across the rear ot' the frame, providedwith a series of teeth, s, set at right angles to each other, allsubstantially as described.

6. In the described machine, in combination with the axle 1i and itswheels M M, the shaft k, connected to the axle by bevel-gears, and tothe seed-valve rods by wrist-pin, the seed-valve mechanism, and theopeners on a pivoted bar, and the connections q and (i to the lever 3,substantially as described.

7. In combination with the frame and harrows, and the-seed-droppingmechanism, the vertically-adjustable shaft n and thehorizontally-adjustable wheels M M, mounted on said shaft, substantiallyas described.

8. In combination, the side pieces, AA, suitably connected, harrows B B,arms carrying the wheels G G, the king-bolts, brackets E on the arms,and a frame, F, fixed to said brackets, whereby the harrows areprevented from tipping, all substantially as described.

9. In the described machine, and in combination, the harrows B B, beamsA A, kingbolts b b, arms C C, and supplemental arms c c, hinged to thearms C C, wheels G G, and

connections, as described, between the arms c c and the frame F, all asset forth.

l0. rlhe detachable structure consisting of the arms C C andsupplemental arms c c, hinged to the arms C, wheels G G, brackets andframe F, attached thereto, and screws I I, in combination with sidepieces, A A, and harrows B B, andthe king-bolts, all substantially asdescribed.

l1. In combination with the frame of a rotary harrow, an axle'andsupporting-wheels, combined with vertically-adj ustable bearings,substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the frame F, secured to the brackets E, whichare supported by the arms C, of the screws I, passing through frame F toa block, t', on the supplemental arm c, and the spring 10 upon the screwbearing on the block i, substantially as described.

13. In a double harrow, the rigid bar or frame, the screws I I, the armsc c, carrying the wheels that bear on the harrows, and the groovedblocks fitted to allow lateral movement of the ends of said screws, theparts being constructed to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

I-IALSEY H. MONROE.

Witnesses:

F. L. MIDDLnToN, J. B. THOMPSON.

